How do snakes kill their prey?

Snakes are ferocious hunters who really have very few natural predators. This is especially true if you are talking about the ones that are venomous, like copperheads and rattlesnakes. In fact, it is more often true that other snakes are more of a danger to these predators than virtually any other kind of animal. In fact, the rat snake is more likely to eat a copperhead snake than any other animal on earth, and it is not even venomous. Interesting to say the least !



The reason that so few other animals are able to defeat a snake is a combination of things. First of all, the way that they are able to spring into a tight coil makes it easy to defend themselves, and to then spring toward their adversary to make the kill.

Secondly, the fangs on a snake can be quite deadly. They are able to piece even the toughest skin and to do some real damage. Because they have no real bones that can be severely damaged by thrashing around, they can simply hang on with those fangs until the animal they have bitten into surrenders and eventually dies. This is one of its most useful means to win. The snake can be thrashed about without any damage to it. Let’s say, for example, that a snake bites into a beaver. That beaver may not die right away. It may live on and try to get the snake off of it. To do so it may thrash around or try to swipe at the snake. By thrashing around it cannot harm the snake. The reptile will just hang on. It actually takes quite a bit of force to get it give up.

There are those snakes that produce venom, like the copperhead, rattlesnake and viper. This gives them a decided advantage in comparison to other snakes. They can simply bite into their prey. Once they do, the venom starts to ooze from the snake’s mouth and into the body of the victim. Within a few minutes the venom begins to work. It works quite quickly because the infected animal is terrified by being bitten and so its blood flows much quicker. The result is that the venom travels faster through it and it is overcome much more quickly.

Regardless of the end result, it is those fangs that a snake has that really do the damage. This is why if you are attacked by a snake, avoiding the head is must. You need to keep yourself away from the upper part so that it cannot put its fangs in you. Make sure that you are always looking directly at the snake as it can move quick and one turn away can be lethal. Read more: Snake Control, Venomous Snakes of Florida, How to Identify Snakes, How to Kill Snakes.